6 Amazing Things We Ate at Corner of Lechon and Craft

(SPOT.ph) On October 28 and 29, Mercato Centrale held their deadliest food fest yet: Corner of Lechon and Craft. More than 20 local brewers showcased their finest beer while Mercato’s regular food merchants brought their own twist to our favorite roast pig. We round up some of the most interesting things we tried.

63 North Brewing Company’s Green Mango Gose

63 North Brewing Company, named after the apartment unit where they first started brewing, is unafraid to experiment with exciting flavor combinations in their brews. Their special beer for Corner of Lechon and Craft, the Green Mango Gose, is a brew that interprets the sweet-salty taste of green mango and bagoong. While it's a flavor combination one wouldn’t usually expect from beer, it pairs really well with lechon.

With flavors like Puto Bumbong, Bicol Express,and Halo Halo, Great Islands Craft Brewery’s selection of beers on display was hard to ignore. Their microbrewers began brewing in 2009 and haven’t stopped since, producing flavors that are inspired by local cuisine, culture and landmarks. Their Halo Halo beer is a sweet brew with layered hints of different flavors reminiscent of the traditional Filipino dessert. It goes down smoothly and is easy to drink, even for those new to craft beer. Be careful though: with its 7.9% alcohol content, you’ll definitely feel the effects after a bottle or two.

Craftpoint Brewing Co. prides itself in experimenting with all kinds of flavors to explore the endless possibilities of what beer could be. Their Liberation and Revolution beers are favorites among craft beer enthusiasts for being as bold as their names imply. And for Corner of Lechon and Craft, they offered the Pandan Porter, a refreshing brew with hints of tanglad flavor. It’s the perfect partner to lechon and sisig. (They’re also planning a Beer Explorers subscription program for the adventurous beer drinker, so that’s something to watch for!)

Eats Meats West’s special "trick or treat" burger is anything but scary. In fact, you wouldn’t want to do anything but take this beauty away with you while it's still warm and fresh off the grill. For Halloween and the night’s lechon fest, Eats Meats West’s Lechon Con Salsa Burger is a beautiful marriage of Filipino and Mexican flavors. A juicy lechon patty is topped with bagnet bits, salsa, guacamole and sour cream for the perfect blend of salty, sour and spicy flavors. Definitely perfect with a bottle of ice-cold beer.

Like their name implies, Timplador de Cebu’s Boneless Lechon is all about timpla or flavor. Their lechon comes in two variants, regular and spicy, and filled with tasty stuffing. Their meat can stand on its own even without the usual lechon sarsa, but if you find that you still miss dipping your lechon in something, Timplador recommends their signature vinegar to cut through the salty, rich deliciousness.

While not exactly lechon, sisig still fits the criteria of salty fatty pork that pairs really well with ice-cold beer. Texas Roasters plays around with this local favorite by adding it to their classic Angus beef burgers. Their Pinoy Sisig Burger is so bad for you, but so irresistible. The best burgers will make a mess, and this one’s no exception. A juicy Angus beef patty is topped with sisig, onions, cheese and a sunny-side up egg for a gigantic burger that’s the perfect blend of salty, succulent, and deliciously crunchy.